The leader's choice.

Kevin Rudd must be commended for laying down the law and demanding the right to choose his ministry if he is elected later this year.
One of the weaknesses of the Labor party has been the protocol which leaves the selection of the front bench to horse trading between the factions. Those put forward are a result of deals and number crunching as the factions thrash out their power status to divide the spoils of victory.
The unfortunate Labor prime minister is reduced to cobbling together a working cabinet from a selection that ranges from the brilliant to the moronic.

It is a debility not imposed on conservative prime ministers, who have the right to pick and choose from the entire parliamentary party - and can therefore elevate or dismiss ministers according to their performance in the job.
The one weakness of the Westminster system is the protocol that dictates that all serving ministers have to be elected members of parliament.
Getting enough votes to win a seat in the house does not necessarily mean a member has the ability to understand and run a difficult and devious portfolio. There are times when not a single member from either side of the house has the capacity to understand an issue - that would be better served by an unelected member of the public with the correct qualifications. Unfortunately, " the system " makes such an appointment impossible.

Under a presidential system the holder of that office may bring into cabinet outsiders who have skills well above those elected to a seat in the house. During the last world war FDR saw a need to build cargo ships to secure the Atlantic lifeline from the depredations of U-Boats. At that time, building a new ship took nearly twelve months. FDR appointed Henry Kaiser - who adopted the methods of Henry Ford in the car industry - and resulted in Liberty ships rolling off the production line in as little time as a week.

Whatever the outcome of the coming election, Kevin Rudd has stamped his authority on the job of leader as far as the Labor party is concerned. There will be opposition from within the ranks of the factions - and the states will be concerned that the new regime may diminish state representation - but the essence of forming a cabinet is to get the right people into the right jobs. In that respect, change has been long overdue !